Signal attachment for lanterns



No. 435,082 Patented Aug. 26, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE C. \VESTERVELT, OF MARSEILLES, ILLINOIS.

SIG NAL ATTACHMENT FOR LANTERNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,082, dated August 26, 1890. Application filed January 20, 189i). Serial No. 337.421. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE O. WEsTERvELT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Marseilles, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal Attachmentsfor Lanterns, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference thereon, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an ordinary lantern having the signal apparatus attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the case of the signal apparatus and of the spring-rollers having wound thereon the colored screens, taken on linel of Fig. 1,looking down. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the case of the signal apparatus, taken on line 2 of Fig. 2, also showing a central longitudinal section of the coil-spring and the cap containing the same and to which it attaches, and a side view of one of the spring-rollers. Fig. 4'is a longitudinal section of a portion of the case of the signal apparatus, taken on line 3 of Fig. 2, showing its means of attachment to the hinged arm for adj ustably securing it to the lantern; and Fig. 5 is a side view of a section of one of the colored screens, showing its eye for securing the screen around the lantern.

This invention relates to certain improvements in a signal attachment for lanterns; and it consists, principally, in a case attached to the lantern-frame on an arm hinged at its inner end to the lower side of the lanternframe, and arranged to slide on said arm, so that said case may be elevated to be hooked to the side of the lantern when in use, and folded under and secured to the bottom of the lantern on its hinged arm when not in use, the said case containing spring-rollers having diiferent-colored screens wound thereon arranged to be drawn out and secured around the lantern to adapt it to be used as asignallantern.

Referring to the drawings, L represents an ordinarylantern having awire fender-frameF.

D is a case having a longitudinal tube T for receiving the outer end of the arm A in such manner that said case may slide on said arm, but not become detached therefrom, on account of said arm being provided with the head TV on its outer end, which cannot pass out of said tube.

When in use as a signal lantern, the case D is moved up on arm A, so that the case may hook to the fender-frame F of the lantern by means of its hook a, as shown.

R R are a pair of spring-rollers arranged in said case, as shown, and have respectively wound thereon colored screens S S, provided with loops H on their outerends, adapted to hook over stud E on the back of case D, to secure the screens, respectively, around the lantern. These rollers each have attached to their journal at one end the inner end of a coil-spring K, contained in a case J, to the innor peripheral surface of which case J the outer ends of said springs attach at V. Said cases J box on the roller-journal, and are prevented from rotating by means of their integral stud r, passing out through an aperture in the end of case D. It is intended that the resiliency of said springs will wind up said screens S on said rollers when released from stud E. The said screens S are intended to be of different colors-such as red and greenand are intended to be made of any suitable material, but preferably of oiled silk.

The arm A, to which case D attaches and slides, is hinged at its inner end to the base B of the lantern at its lower edge or foot, as shown, in such manner that it, together with the case D, may be folded under the base B of the lantern, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 1, out of the way when it is not desired to use the lantern as a signal-lantern.

X is a spring-catch secured to the inner side of base B,'for engaging the stud O on the upper end of case D, for holding said case folded in the said base B, as shown.

The case D may be made to contain more than two spring-rollers bearing screens of any color, and more than one arm A may be used to attach the case to the lantern, if desired, and the case D may be made detachable from said arm and not used therewith, if desired. Such case D and arm A may be applied to any lantern having a base deep enough to contain the case folded therein, and thus adapt any such ordinary lantern to be used as a signal lantern. When it is not desired to use the lantern as a signal-lantern, the case D is kept folded. in the lantern-base out of the Way; but when it is desired to use the lantern as a signal-lantern the case I) is unlatched from the base and is brought around and hooked to the fender-frame F of the lantern, as shown, which is permitted on account of its sliding movement on arm A. When thus attached to the side of the lantern, either one of the screens S may be drawn out and secured around the lantern, thus adapting it for use as a signal-lantern to cast any colored light desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows, to wit:

1. The combinatiomwith the lantern, of the arm A, hinged thereto, the case D, arranged to be supported and slide on said arm, the spring-rollers R, arranged within said case, and the colored screens S on said rollers, adapted to be secured around the lantern, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the lantern, of case 1), bearing the rollers R, and screens S wound thereon, the said case being adapted to 'be'folded and secured within the base'of the lantern, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the lantern, of the arm A, hinged to said lantern-base, and caseD,

arranged to slide on said arm, the said arm and case adapted to be folded under and se cured in the lantern-base, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the lantern, of the case D, having stud E, hook a, and tube T, rollers E, coilsprings K, cases J, colored screens S, and the arm A, hinged to said lantern and having the head W, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In combination with a lantern, a case having rollers bearing colored screens Wound thereon,said case being constructed to be attached to the side of the lantern andvalso to fold and be secured in the lantern-base, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE -C. VVESTERVELT.

lVitnesses:

THos. H. HUToHINs, W. D. WAITE. 

